Features of treating the throat for sore throat: 12 ways to treat

When the throat begins to bother you, you need to start treatment. Otherwise, the tonsils, the first barrier to infection, will allow germs to pass further, which can cause inflammation of the trachea, bronchi, and even lungs. After all, it is the tonsils that let you know about their illness through pain, and it is to put them in order that sprays for treating the throat are developed.

This dosage form, such as a spray, is very convenient. The necessary drug gets directly onto the inflamed tissue, it is possible to specifically treat the tonsil that is most disturbing, and if you choose a medicine that also contains an anesthetic, then only the treated areas will be “frozen”, and not the tongue and the entire mouth.

Types of throat sprays

There are several types of throat medications available in the form of sprays and aerosols. Each has its own indications and contraindications, not everything can be used in childhood, each has a recommended frequency of use and number of injections, as described in the instructions for the spray.

So, local throat preparations, produced in the form of sprays, are:

• Antiseptic. Their active ingredients destroy a large number of bacteria and act on fungi and some viruses.
• Containing antibiotics. Their action is mainly directed only at bacteria.
• Anti-inflammatory. The effect of such sprays is to block the reaction of the formation of various substances that cause inflammation in the body.
• Antiviral. They usually suppress the mechanism by which viruses increase their numbers.
• Cleansing and moisturizing. These are sprays based on sea water or herbal extracts that help increase the amount of fluid between the cells of the mucous membrane of the throat. This eliminates dryness and tickling in it.
• Combined. The largest number of such throat sprays are now produced. They contain 1 or more antiseptics, an anesthetic that temporarily relieves a sore throat.
• Homeopathic, made on the basis of herbal extracts, trace elements added to them and small concentrations of metal salts. Ideally, such sprays are prepared individually, after examination by a homeopathic doctor, but some can be purchased at a regular pharmacy.

Ask your otolaryngologist (ENT doctor) which throat spray will help you. Based on the results of the examination, this specialist will tell you what process is happening in your throat - inflammatory or atrophic, and, if it is inflammation, then what flora is (presumably) caused by it. An ENT doctor can culture the pharyngeal mucus or the contents of the lacunae of the tonsils (the depressions in them) into nutrient media, and if the medications prescribed before receiving the results of this culture do not help, then after 5 days, based on laboratory data, it will be possible to select those medications that will help. which will definitely “work”.

Contraindications for use

Any drug should not be used by a person whose immune system reacts to at least one of its components with allergic reactions. With caution, and only after consultation with a doctor, pregnant and lactating women can use aerosols based on sea water or with antiseptics - those that do not contain iodine. Other sprays are contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.

In addition, the spray is not a dosage form that can be used for a sore throat in children under 3 years of age, especially when they suffer from obstructive bronchitis. This is due to the fact that in such babies the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract are loose and richly supplied with blood. The spray, when injected with a powerful jet, can cause laryngospasm even without the development of allergies, and this is a deadly condition, since air through the spasmodic larynx will not be able to enter the bronchi and lungs.

Treatment of colds with sprays in people suffering from atrophic pharyngitis requires special care. These are conditions when the mucous membrane of the throat becomes thinner, the secreted mucus becomes more and more viscous, sticks to the mucous membranes, where it quickly dries out, becoming hard-to-remove crusts. Subsequently, connective tissue develops in place of the mucous and submucosal membranes, glands, lymphatic vessels and tonsils also become sclerotic. Therefore, patients with chronic atrophic pharyngitis need to choose those sprays that cannot dry out the mucous membrane, but, on the contrary, will moisturize it.

Irrigation

Parents are often faced with the question of how to treat the throat of a two- to three-year-old child if he does not know how to spit out rinses well and has a gag reflex to lubricants. This is where a variety of sprays come to the rescue.

Miramistin is a good choice for infants from 0 months of age. All they need to do is spray it on their cheeks from the inside. The medicine does not enter the body through the mucous membranes and skin; it has a targeted effect on bacteria, viruses and fungi. In children under 6 years of age, the tonsils and other parts of the nasopharynx are treated in the morning, after lunch and before bed. Just press the dispenser once. A 2-year-old child’s throat may not be opened wide if this is not entirely possible. It is enough that the medicine gets into the mouth.

With three-year-old children, you can already try irrigating the throat with Ingalipt. It can also be used three times a day, and one click on the dispenser will be enough. Children who are allergic to herbs such as eucalyptus, peppermint, thymol should not be treated with it, since these are the components that are included in the product.

Spraying the larynx of small children with sprays is easier and faster than treating the throat with ointments. From the age of three you can also use Tantum Verde. This drug relieves inflammation well and provides immediate pain relief. From 3 to 6 years old, children are recommended to do one press for every four kilograms of their weight. The procedure can be performed up to 5 times a day.

Sore throat in a 3-year-old child is also treated with Hexoral. This drug should not be used in younger children due to its pronounced pungent taste. Acts against bacteria, fungi, and relieves pain. Use exclusively after meals.

Sprays for treating a child’s throat should only be recommended by a doctor. You should also consult him about folk remedies for irrigation. Self-medication is fraught with consequences.

How to use throat sprays correctly

This is not at all difficult, but it will help to allow the active ingredient in the spray to work without overdosing on the drug:

1. Take 2-3 sips of water (this will clear your throat).
2. Holding the spray bottle upside down, press it as many times as the instructions allow for your age.
3. Do not eat or drink anything for half an hour after treating your throat.
4. If different throat sprays are prescribed, leave a gap of 2-3 hours between their use, unless your doctor says otherwise.

How to use sprays correctly?

It's not difficult to use aerosols correctly. Thanks to the active substance, the spray works effectively and does not overdose the drug.

Before use, take three sips of water to clear your throat. Then, holding the aerosol with the bottom down, you need to press the valve the number of times that is prescribed in the instructions or prescribed by the doctor. After treating the throat, you should not eat or drink drinks for half an hour.

If a doctor prescribes different aerosols, you should take a break of three hours between their use.

Throat preparations in the form of sprays are a convenient dosage form that allows you to quickly and effectively eliminate the symptoms of various diseases. Each drug has its own characteristics, age restrictions, and side effects. Therefore, before starting self-treatment of a child, you must first consult a doctor.

Antiseptic sprays

These drugs are used:

• during a viral process, when the throat “sores” or “sores”, snot begins to stand out, muscles and head ache, you want to sleep more than usual;
• when plaque appears on the tonsils, which look like white or yellowish “threads” stretching vertically;
• before and after medical procedures performed in the oral cavity (rinsing lacunae, treating abscesses, removing teeth);
• for sore throat, when yellow or white pus is found in the recesses of the tonsils - only as an auxiliary therapy. The main treatment is taking an antibiotic;
• when cheesy plaques appear in the mouth and on the tonsils, which, when removed, reveal a red and shiny surface - also as a complement to treatment with systemic antifungal drugs.

Antiseptic sprays can be divided into those that contain iodine and those that have a different base. A separate group includes preparations based on propolis.

Antiseptics based on iodine

These are several drugs that contain povidone iodine or its other salts. Effectively kills gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including staphylococci, streptococci, Klebsiella, E. coli, Proteus. Iodine is absorbed through damaged mucous membranes, penetrating into the blood and partially accumulating in the thyroid gland. Excreted in urine, sweat and feces. Iodine also passes into breast milk and passes through the placenta, so it is not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation.

With prolonged use, overdose or hypersensitivity to iodine, side effects may appear such as: runny nose, lethargy, drooling, urticaria, Quincke's edema and other phenomena.

Antiseptics that do not contain iodine

There are more such drugs than iodine-containing ones.

Treating a child's throat with Lugol

The rules for treating a child’s throat with Lugol remain the same as for adult patients. However, there are certain characteristics. Treatment of a child’s throat should be carried out no earlier than 5 years. Treatment with Lugol should be carried out no more than 3 to 4 times a day. You can eat or drink after the procedure only 30-40 minutes later.

How to lubricate a child’s throat correctly:

• Parents need to be well prepared for the procedure. Learn the rules. You can watch a video on how to smear your throat with Lugol.
• You need to talk to the baby. Tell him the details of the upcoming procedure. Explain how he feels after it and, most importantly, promise that if he smears it on his throat, the illness will quickly go away and his throat will no longer hurt.
• The child must behave calmly so that during treatment he does not accidentally injure the tissues or cause pain.

To treat hard-to-reach areas of the pharynx, it is better to rinse. It is necessary to rinse 4 – 5 times a day. Why dilute a few drops of an alcohol solution of iodine in a glass of warm water. Recommended for children from 3 years old.

Sprays with propolis

Propolis is a sticky substance produced by bees to seal cracks in honeycombs and disinfect honeycomb cells. This beekeeping product contains more than a hundred useful chemical compounds: vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and proteins, flavonoids and fatty acids.

Throat sprays with propolis are used for the symptomatic treatment of viral and bacterial inflammation of the throat and tonsils. They provide:

• antiseptic;
• bacteriostatic (that is, they do not kill bacteria, but “immobilize” them so that they cannot reproduce);
• antiviral;
• anti-inflammatory;
• fungicidal (killing fungi);
• immunomodulatory;
• improving the restoration of inflamed tissue.

Sprays with propolis do not cause human addiction; bacteria do not develop sensitivity to them. In addition, they do not irritate the gastric mucosa and do not affect the intestinal flora (do not cause dysbiosis).

Correct use of sprays

Children under 2 years of age are injected with antiseptic throat sprays while lying on their side. This will allow the drug not to get further than the oropharynx - into the trachea and bronchi.

If the patient is over 2 years old, he is given 2-3 sips of water, and then the spray is shaken and asked to open his mouth wide. The tip of the irrigation stick can be inserted 2-3 cm into the mouth and the number of injections required according to the instructions or prescribed by the doctor. During injection, the patient must hold his breath.

IMPORTANT! Then it is forbidden to drink or eat for half an hour.

Antiseptic throat tablets are prescribed to children from 5-6 years of age, when they can control the resorption process. = =
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Antibiotic sprays

Now on the domestic market there is only one throat spray with an antibiotic. Previously, Bioparox nasal and throat spray based on the local antibiotic fusafungine was widely used, but due to the high risk of severe allergic reactions, it has been discontinued.

Antibiotic throat sprays

A throat spray, cheap and effective, containing antibiotics, can be an assistant in the fight against pathogens such as:

• streptococci;
• staphylococci;
• fungi;
• anaerobic microorganisms.

Such drugs are prescribed for diseases of the upper respiratory tract and act comprehensively, killing pathogenic microorganisms and alleviating the patient’s condition.

These types of means include, for example:

• sore throat;
• tantum verde;
• hexoralcamethone;
• stopangin;
• bioparox;
• isofra;
• polydex.

Combined

Anti-inflammatory

Treatment of the throat for sore throat

This procedure can be carried out in different ways. Gargling, applying medicine directly to the throat using a cotton swab or bandage, spraying special sprays, sucking lozenges. Effective methods are rinses, sprays, lozenges, which can also be used to combat sore throat during the incubation period.

Rinse

This method is aimed at treating the throat, but some drugs can have an analgesic effect. This procedure can be carried out using practically any means, from table salt with iodine to household kerosene. You should be careful with the most aggressive methods, as it is easy to aggravate the situation in this way. Also, rinsing can be carried out as therapy after treatment in order to restore the mucous membranes; herbal decoctions will be most effective.

How to gargle for a cold is described here.

Painkillers

Sprays or lozenges are aimed more at eliminating pain, but they also help fight the disease itself. This method of treatment is used during the treatment of children or when the disease has been advanced and it is very difficult to endure a sore throat.

The best folk remedies for sore throat are described in this article.

Antiviral

Cleansing and moisturizing

These preparations are based on sea or ocean water, saturated with microelements. Once on the mucous membrane of the throat, it will moisturize it, wash away microorganisms localized there, and thin out stagnant mucus. This action will accelerate the healing of the inflamed mucosa, and also increase the resistance of its epithelium to pathogenic microbes. Preparations based on sea salt are Aqua Maris (analogues: Aqualor Throat spray Aloe + Chamomile).

However, these remedies cannot be called cheap, despite the fact that ordinary gargling with a solution of soda and salt has the same effect (see what and how to gargle).

Sprays with cleansing and moisturizing properties

These are sprays that contain hypertonic (over 0.9% concentration) or isotonic (0.9%) sterile solutions of sea water. Hypertonic sprays not only cleanse and moisturize the mucous membrane, but also increase its resistance (the ability to resist the introduction of pathogenic microflora). In case of increased dryness of the mucous membrane (for example, during atrophic processes), isotonic solutions of sea water are prescribed.

Such drugs include Aqua Maris, Aqualor, Aquamaster, Aqualor Soft and others. The lines of these sprays may include hypertonic and isotonic solutions, as well as additional components that enhance the main effect of the spray.

Spray Aqua Maris

A hypertonic spray based on Adriatic Sea water relieves the mucous membrane of excess fluid and relieves swelling. The cells of infectious agents are dehydrated and die, and the immunity of the mucous membranes is increased. It is used in the treatment of any acute infections of the ENT organs and in some chronic inflammatory processes. In case of increased dryness of the mucous membranes, preference is given to the isotonic spray Aqua Maris. The dosage form of the spray is not prescribed to children under 3 years of age.

Dosage: irrigation 3 - 4 pressures every 2 - 3 hours.

Price: Aqua Maris 250 – 300 rubles.

Homeopathic

It is difficult to buy homeopathic sprays in domestic pharmacies. They can only be ordered from online pharmacies. This is for example:

• Italian Guna Oral Spray or
• Canadian drug Seagate Olive Lef Throat Spray.

These drugs consist entirely of natural ingredients and are used for sore throats and toothaches. There are a sufficient number of positive reviews about them, but you should consult your doctor about the advisability of prescribing them.

Author:

Krivega Maria Salavatovna resuscitator

List of effective drugs

The most famous sore throat sprays for children are:

1. "Inhalipt."
2. "Tantum Verde".
3. "Hexoral".
4. "Aqualor".
5. "Teraflu".
6. "Lugol".
7. "Kameton."
8. "Orasept."
9. "Aqualor Baby"
10. "Strepsils".
11. "Stopangin."
12. "Angilex".

As a rule, these sprays are used for children from two years of age, but for medical reasons and doctor’s recommendations they can be used at an earlier age.